This invention relates generally to trim panels with electrical wiring incorporated therein and, more particularly, to trim panels which make use of flat wiring.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,429 recites a method of producing an instrument panel of a motor vehicle or similar molding of foamed resin capable of fitting electrical parts thereon as desired. More particularly, the ""429 Patent recites a method of producing a molding of foamed resin in which a flexible printed circuit (FPC), which is electrically connectable to electrical parts, is buried.
The ""429 Patent also recites that an instrument panel has customarily been implemented as a laminate having three layers, i.e., a covering made of soft resin, a base made of ABS resin or similar hard resin, and a padding made of foamed urethane or similar foaming resin and sandwiched between the covering and the base, and that an FPC and couplers are each mounted on the base by using adhesive or screws. Continuing, the ""429 Patent recites that such a prior art three-layer instrument panel, however, is not satisfactory because the base and the padding have to be produced independently of each other and then bonded together, resulting in a disproportionate production cost.
As an alternative to the prior art three-layer instrument panel described by the ""429 Patent, the ""429 Patent recites that the base may be formed from a foamed resin and molded integrally with the padding. However, when the base is formed from a foamed resin, the ""429 Patent then discloses that the FPC and couplers may not be mounted with screws or adhesives. Consequently, the ""429 Patent proposes a solution for mounting the FPC and couplers to this alternative structure by burying the FPC and couplers in the base when the latter is molded.
In light of the ""429 Patent, what is needed is a structure and method of combining a flat wire with a three-layer interior trim panel without the need for separate fasteners, such as screws, or adhesives.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a structure and a method for combining a flat wire with a three-layer instrument panel without the need for separate fasteners, such as screws, or adhesives.
According to one feature of the invention, a vehicle interior trim panel is provided comprising a skin, a substrate, a foam located between the skin and the substrate, and a flat wire at least partially surrounded by and embedded in the foam.
According to another feature of the invention the flat wire comprises a flexible printed circuit.
According to another feature of the invention, a terminal end of the flat wire may include a connector.
According to another feature of the invention, the foam comprises a density between 0.016 g/cm3 to 0.288 g/cm3.
According to another feature of the invention, the foam comprises an ultimate elongation greater than five percent.
According to another feature of the invention, the substrate comprises a substrate aperture and the flat wire passes though the aperture.
According to another feature of the invention, the substrate comprises at least a portion of a flat wire holder.
According to another feature of the invention, the substrate portion of the flat wire holder is formed with the substrate and is adjacent the inner substrate surface.
According to another feature of the invention, the flat wire holder at least partially confines movement of the flat wire.
According to another feature of the invention, the flat wire holder comprises an elongated recess for holding or confining a terminal end of the flat wire with a smaller width dimension or a smaller length dimension than the terminal end of the flat wire.
According to another feature of the invention, the flat wire holder comprises a pocket for holding or confining at least a portion of the flat wire, and at least a portion of the pocket comprises a recess formed in the substrate.
According to another feature of the invention, the foam at least partially enters into the substrate aperture and the foam surrounds at least a portion of the flat wire.
According to another feature of the invention, the foam entering into the substrate aperture is a buffer between the flat wire and a surface of the substrate aperture.
According to another feature of the invention, the foam entering into the substrate aperture reduces contact, noise and wear between the flat wire and a surface of the substrate aperture.
According to another feature of the invention, the foam exiting from the substrate aperture surrounds at least a portion of the flat wire, prevents the flat wire from being displaced from an embedded position and reduces contact between the flat wire and a corner of the substrate aperture.
According to another feature of the invention, the terminal end of the flat wire is moved from a first position to a second position.
According to another feature of the invention, a method of making a vehicle interior trim panel comprises providing a substrate, providing a skin, routing a flat wire along a surface of the substrate and through a substrate aperture, and providing a foam between the skin and the substrate such that the foam at least partially surrounds and embeds a portion of the flat wire.
According to another feature of the invention, the method of making a vehicle interior trim panel further comprises the foam entering at least a portion of the substrate aperture between the flat wire and at least one substrate aperture surface.
According to another feature of the invention, the method of making a vehicle interior trim panel further comprises the foam exiting the substrate aperture between the flat wire and at least one substrate aperture surface.
According to another feature of the invention, the method of making a vehicle interior trim panel further comprises at least partially confining the flat wire in a pocket and adjacent the substrate inner surface.
According to another feature of the invention, the method of making a vehicle interior trim panel further comprises at least partially confining the terminal end of the flat wire in an elongated recess and adjacent the substrate inner surface.
According to another feature of the invention, a method of marking a skin for a vehicle interior trim panel comprises providing a skin with a color and an outer skin surface, and applying a laser to the outer skin surface such that a portion of the skin surface contacted by the laser changes color relative to a portion of the outer skin surface not contacted by the laser to create a marking in the outer skin surface indicating the presence of a vehicle component or function.